The present invention relates to an improved clamping ring for use with an electric utility meter, and more particularly for an improved clamp ring which is used to secure the meter to its housing.
This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 786,831 filed Oct. 11, 1985 now abandoned entitled Lock Ring, now abandoned in favor of this application.
Typically the electric meter housing has a circular flange which extends radially outwardly from the housing. The electric meter itself has a somewhat wider circular flange or base which fits against the housing flange. A split U-shaped clamping ring is then placed over both of these flanges to hold the meter to the meter housing, and in turn, some method must be provided for securing the ends of the ring, and to provide a means for locking it over the joint, so that the meter may not be removed and be tampered with. Thus, the object of such a clamp ring is to prevent unauthorized access to the backside of the meter.
Clamp rings of the same general sort are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,867,822; 4,158,953; 4,413,490; and 4,415,190. The present invention alters the conventional shape of the ends of the clamp ring and provides a unique method to sandwich the ends of the ring together to prevent the clamp ring from being removed from the meter housing when an appropriate lock is in place, and at the same time provides a unique method to open the ends of the ring so that it may be more readily removed from the meter base, so that the meter can be changed, or removed, as desired.
More particularly, the prior devices have been somewhat hard to manipulate, and particularly to spread the ends of the ring far enough apart to get it over the flanges, and to then bring the two ends together so that a housing may be installed to hold the ends in a position to lock the meter to the case, and then thereafter to install a lock and a seal. The present invention is directed toward improvements which overcome these objections.